Dear Mamas,
my 4 months old all of a sudden started to refuse the bottle whenever we try to feed him.
He acts like he hates the milk (which is the same he gladly drank so far) and fusses and cries, moving his mouth away from the bottle. I tried to trick him by giving my nipple first and slipping the bottle in his mouth but he fights anyway amd it takes forever to convince him! This morning it took 45 minutes and I was late at work.
More importantly: he needs to eat, the milk is his only nutrient right now...please help.
Dear Mamas, thank you for your kind words of advice!
I am looking at him closely and if he keeps acting funny I'll taking to the Ped. for checking ears and reflux (it could be it because he coughs often). He is on the soy milk and he tolerates it very well (when he drinks it!) hopefully everything will be go back to normal soon.Thanx again!!
following up with your doc is a good idea...it sounds like he will still take the breast? Have you possibly changed or accidently bought a different type of nipple for the bottles?
Pam
The acid reflux is abig kicker both of my kids had it and they are both on medicine for it now and are fine. That is definitely something you need to talk to you doctor about it is becoming more common in babies every day almost every baby I know has it.
Could he have an ear infection? My little girl just had an ear infection and the only sign was she didn't want her bottle. Not to that extent, she would take it but she wouldn't drink near as much as she had been. I took her to the dr for something else and sure enough she had an ear infection..That's just an idea..
S.
Could be an ear infection, but could also be acid reflux (GERD). My second did the same thing and now is on Prevacid. Just have the doctor check if it is not an ear infection.
If you are pumping and he is drinking breast milk it could be your milk. I know that while my daughter breast fed that around 3 months she completely turned her nose and would not take breast milk no matter the form. I later found out that I had gallbladder problems and that it actually make my milk bitter tasting and she didnt' want it. you might want to talk with your doctor and see if something like this could be the problem. We had to switch to soy formula to make sure that she would get her nutrients and it all worked out well. It could be the bottle, maybe he doesn't like that bottle anymore and you could try a different brand. Kids are funny and at this age it is hard because he cannot tell you what he is not liking. If he won't eat, and refuses, you might also try putting away the bottle and waiting a bit adn then when he fusses let him eat. He probably won't go long without wanting that bottle, but it might help him if he gets hungry enough he will take it.
I'm thinking along the same lines as Pamela. Did you check the bottle nipples? The milk could be flowing too fast or too slow to suit him. I actually got a pack of nipples once that didn't have holes in them! It could also be that he would rather breastfeed than bottlefeed and even though he used a bottle successfully before, he may want the breast. My son was 4 mos old when I first gave him a bottle, he held his breath and then wailed as if I had wounded him. There was breastmilk in the bottle, it was just the bottle itself he didn't want. He acted betrayed but got over it & I didn't have any more probs after that. Good luck with the doctor, it wouldn't hurt to have him checked out. If he has been coughing often that would be a good idea.
We went thru that with our first daughter. The doctor said to let her cry and she will eat eventually. It was hard, but I think the weening process all together is difficult. Have you checked baby for gas or had his ears checked? Sometimes if they have either the sucking may hurt. You may want to check the flow of the nipple as well. We tried every formula and the only one that she would go for in the beginning was the premixed Good Start. Somehow, she always knew if it was powder! It was a bit expensive, but she was eating!
